Last week in Las Vegas, the sold-out Targusinfo Online Lead Quality Summit was a strong indication of the importance we are all placing on online lead generation quality and the long-term commitment many have to this market. This is the second year for this conference, and its attendance numbers and content illustrate incredible strides in the industry. It's about time.

As more marketers demand accountability from more media, both parties need to agree on the best way to pay for performance. Cost per Action or Cost per Acquisition (CPA) really could be the ultimate expression of performance -- if the actions can really be measured. In our experience, attaining this ideal isn't as easy as the concept. This raises a few considerations for marketers (as well as agencies and media) considering a foray into the world of CPA.

A recent Wall Street Journal article on lead generation painted a picture of pending doom for "incentivized" lead generation marketing. But the problem with much of the recent press on the topic of incentive marketing is that it is incorrectly focused. The issue is not that there is an inherent problem with the technique of using incentives or cross-sells to attract consumers. Problems arise with the execution of this practice.

That most honorable sheriff of the Wild West, John Wayne, once said, "If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'" The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) seems to agree, having just released a set of data transfer guidelines for the lead generation industry. As lead generation marketers, it behooves us to think of these "best" practices in the spirit of "only" practices.